WASHINGTON, D.C. — The derailment of two propane cars in Gainesville over the weekend was the seventh railroad accident in Prince William County since 1997, rekindling concerns among local officials about future crashes with more dire results, reports the Washington Post.
“Obviously, there’s always a risk when you have a railroad or any sort of transportation system running through a growing area,” said Sean T. Connaughton (R-At Large), chairman of the Board of County Supervisors. “The potential for a major problem is increasing almost daily.”
County officials also said the derailment puts urgency into a plan that would revamp the road and rail systems surrounding Route 29.
Investigators do not know what caused the accident, in which two cars carrying almost 70,000 gallons of propane toppled Sunday. There were no injuries or explosions. But Route 29 and other roads were closed, and there were evacuations.
Norfolk Southern Railway officials said the 13-car freight train and its two locomotives encountered problems while exiting a side rail in Gainesville to enter the railroad’s main line. Five cars at the end of the train flipped over the tracks and landed on their sides near Route 29.
A bulkhead car, two empty propane cars and two propane cars carrying 34,000 gallons each went over.
County fire and rescue officials said no propane leaked out of the cars, which were lifted back onto the side rail yesterday. Susan Bland, a spokeswoman for Norfolk Southern, said cleanup efforts were completed yesterday afternoon.
“The tanks themselves were not damaged,” Bland said. “All the cars are up and out of the way, and the track is back in action.”
Federal Railroad Administration officials plan to investigate the accident, which occurred during routine switching operations, said Warren Flatau, an administration spokesman. Flatau said investigators will specifically examine the switching mechanism and will look at other factors.
The accident was about one-quarter mile from the site of a Norfolk Southern train derailment in 1997, when a manual switch locked in the wrong position, sending rail cars spinning from the tracks, crushing a small building at a gas station and injuring one man.
There were three derailments in Manassas in 2000 — all attributed to human error — and two recent crashes involving vehicles that were hit by passing trains.
Officials said they don’t believe there is any connection among the accidents, which occurred along the same seven-mile stretch of track. Officials said the same train run — the E43 — was responsible for the 1997 incident — which also occurred during a routine switching operation — although Sunday’s involved a different crew and train.
Flatau said there is no indication that there is a problem with the track. Roger Snyder, who has been the liaison between Manassas and Norfolk Southern for the past 10 years, said he sees no ongoing problems with the railroad.
“It was just an unfortunate . . . accident,” Snyder said. “It simply shows once again that anything that can be done to improve the safety of trains moving through urban areas is important.”
Prince William officials have long bemoaned the section of tracks surrounding Route 29, citing a lengthy list of accidents as reason to revamp the area’s road system. But those plans, which include a new Interstate 66 interchange that would separate traffic from the tracks, are on hold while the state gets its finances in order.
Four miles of Route 29 were closed Sunday night, and officials evacuated businesses within a 3,000-foot radius. No homes were evacuated, according to fire officials, but two schools were closed yesterday amid lingering concerns.
“The problem we have in Gainesville is the mix of cars and trains,” Connaughton said. “We are seeing not only safety issues involving the trains themselves, but the fact that they cause massive congestion that leads to other types of accidents. We’re facing a double-barreled problem.”